Bill Maher Mocks George Bush Nostalgia During the Pandemic: ‘Bush Would Have F—ed This Up Too’ (Video)

Over the last three years, people have frequently compared Donald Trump unfavorably to the last Republican president to preside over a series of wholly preventable disasters — George W. Bush. Specifically, it’s common for people to say very nice things about the 43rd president and suggest he would have handled these disasters well., especially given how the response to the COVID-19 pandemic is going.

But on “Real Time” Friday, Bill Maher wasn’t having it, and during the mid-show bit, he made it plain when he said he thinks the 43rd president would have been almost as bad as he thinks Trump is.

The joke came at the end of a frequent Bill Maher routine, “I don’t know it for a fact, I just know it’s true,” something he hasn’t done in a while. Rather than belabor the point, we’ll just list them all for you below (or watch them in the clip above):

Earlier in the show, during the monologue, per usual Maher ran through a grab bag of topics drawn from the week’s news. For instance, Cinco de Mayo, “or as we call it here in Hollywood: Cultural Appropriation Day,” about which he said “Trump supporters, they love Cinco de Mayo. They celebrated this year by putting salt on the rim of their disinfectant.” A reference, of course, to the time Trump literally suggested people could fight coronavirus by injecting disinfectant into their lungs. (You can’t. Don’t do that.)

“Of course if you really want to get high you gotta eat the worm at the bottom of the Windex bottle, that’s how you really. Look, I love that holiday, always have. Lived out here for a long time. I partied by myself. I did. I was in the kitchen. I made tacos and guacamole and margaritas,” Maher continued. “I wrecked the whole place. I was like, ‘You know what? I’m gonna leave this for the cleaning lady.’ Then I remembered: I’m the cleaning lady.”

Maher also talked about the disturbing news about the possibility that Asian giant hornets have been established in North America. “Did you see this? — we’re getting an invasion of Asian murder hornets. That’s what they’re calling it in the press because they never try to scare people. Asian murder hornets. Trump said ‘Impossible, I banned their flights in January.'”

There's less than a year to go until the 2020 presidential election, where the presumptive Democratic nominee — former Vice President Joe Biden — is expected to take on President Donald Trump.

But before then, the race was filled with a number of candidates eyeing the Oval Office. Here's TheWrap's list of everyone who is running for president — and who has dropped out.

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Joe Biden – Democratic Party

Entered Race: April 25, 2019

The former Obama VP was a late entry to the race, formally declaring his run for the presidency on April 25. But he's long been a presumed frontrunner, leading many early polls. This is his third presidential run, and for months he's been telling anyone who'll listen that he'd be the most qualified candidate for the job. He's also already been under scrutiny over criticism about his behavior with women, prompting him to post a video promising he'd be "more mindful and respectful" of a woman's "personal space."

The Massachusetts Senator formally announced her candidacy on Feb. 9 at a rally in her home state, and shortly after followed up with a tweet that read: "I believe in an America of opportunity. My daddy ended up as a janitor, but his little girl got the chance to be a public school teacher, a college professor, a United States Senator – and a candidate for President of the United States. #Warren2020." But on March 5, 2020, following a disappointing Super Tuesday performance, Warren officially ended her bid for the presidency.

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Bernie Sanders – Democratic Party

Entered Race: Feb. 19, 2019

Dropped Out: April 8, 2020

Bernie Sanders, the runner-up in the 2016 contest for the Democratic nomination, had a momentous campaign for the presidency with policies championing economic equality and rhetoric advocating for a political revolution that drew him scores of dedicated supporters. But as the Democratic primary elections arrived, his campaign's disappointing performance widened the gap toward the nomination between the Vermont senator and his main competitor, Joe Biden. In early April, Sanders officially suspended his campaign for the presidency.

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Pete Buttigieg – Democratic Party

Entered Race: April 14, 2019

Dropped Out: March 1, 2020

The 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana became the first openly gay presidential nominee from a major political party. Buttigieg came away with the most delegates from the Iowa Caucuses but couldn't keep his momentum going in the other early state primaries.

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Michael Bloomberg - Democratic Party

Entered Race: Nov. 24, 2019

Dropped Out: March 4, 2020

The former mayor of New York is the second billionaire to enter the crowded Democratic field with just one year until the election, using his considerable personal wealth to fund his ad campaign. He dropped out after a poor showing on Super Tuesday.

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Amy Klobuchar – Democratic Party

Entered Race: Feb. 10, 2019

Dropped Out: March 2, 2020

The Minnesota Democrat, first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006, announced her bid on Feb. 10, 2019, saying that she wanted to work for "everyone who wanted their work recognized." Klobuchar's key issues she wants to tackle if elected president include revising voting rights protections and prioritizing cybersecurity.

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Tulsi Gabbard – Democratic Party

Entered Race: Jan. 11, 2019

Dropped Out: March 19, 2020

Gabbard, a U.S. Representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district, endorsed Bernie Sanders in 2016, but in 2020 she's all-in on herself. Gabbard is running on immigration and criminal justice reform.

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Tom Steyer – Democratic Party

Entered Race: July 9, 2019

Dropped Out: Feb. 29, 2020

The billionaire and climate change activist entered the race in July, saying in a video "if you think that there's something absolutely critical, try as hard as you can and let the chips fall where they may. And that's exactly what I'm doing. My name's Tom Steyer, and I'm running for president."

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Bill Weld – Republican Party

Entered Race: April 15, 2019

Weld is a former Governor of Massachusetts who has been on the record about his displeasure of Trump, specifically Trump's desire to be more of a "king than a president."

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Deval Patrick - Democratic Party

Entered Race: Nov. 14, 2019 Dropped Out: Feb. 12, 2020

The former governor of Massachusetts acknowledged the challenge of jumping into the Democratic primary so late in the game. But in his announcement he took a veiled swipe at other candidates, saying the party was torn between "nostalgia" and "our big idea or no way.” He dropped out after the New Hampshire primary, failing to secure a single delegate.

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Michael Bennet – Democratic Party

Entered Race: May 2, 2019 Dropped Out: Feb. 11, 2020

The Colorado senator has been a vocal supporter on advancing the field of artificial intelligence and expanding the Child Tax Credit. He dropped out on the day of the New Hampshire primary.

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Andrew Yang – Democratic Party

Entered Race: Nov. 6, 2017 Dropped Out: Feb. 11, 2020

The entrepreneur and son of immigrant parents from Taiwan became a contender a year ago, telling The New York Times that he will advocate for a universal basic income. But he failed to gain traction and dropped out the day of the New Hampshire primary.

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Joe Walsh – Republican Party

Entered Race: Aug. 25, 2019 Dropped Out: Feb. 7, 2020

The former congressman from Illinois turned conservative talk show host announced in August 2019 that he would enter the GOP primaries to challenge President Trump. "I'm running because he's unfit; somebody needs to step up and there needs to be an alternative. The country is sick of this guy's tantrum -- he's a child," he told ABC News.

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Cory Booker – Democratic Party

Entered Race: Feb. 1, 2019 Dropped Out: Jan. 13, 2020

The New Jersey senator and former mayor of Newark formally tossed his name into the presidential hat on Feb. 1, the first day of Black History Month. Booker ran on a platform of ending mass incarceration if he were to be elected president. His absence in the race ahead of the caucuses made the remaining Democratic field significantly less diverse.

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Marianne Williamson – Democratic Party

Entered Race: Jan. 28, 2019 Dropped Out: Jan. 10, 2020

The "Healing the Soul of America" author and founder of Project Angel Food announced her candidacy during a political rally at the Saban Theater in Los Angeles on Jan. 28. Williamson ran on a platform of reparations and "economic justice for women and children."

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Julián Castro – Democratic Party

Entered Race: Jan. 12, 2019

Dropped Out: Jan. 2, 2020

The former mayor of San Antonio -- and former Obama cabinet member -- supports immigration reform and eliminating lead poisoning. Castro was the only Latino candidate in the running, and he said in a video released by his campaign that he's "not done fighting."

Harris came out of the gate strong with a solid showing at the first debate, but failed to carry that momentum. Reports of staff mismanagement and fundraising challenges led to her to suspend her candidacy in early December.

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Beto O'Rourke – Democratic Party

Entered Race: March 14, 2019

Dropped Out: November 1, 2019

The former congressman from El Paso, Texas, announced he is running for president on March 14, saying: "This is a defining moment of truth for this country and for every single one of us," and that the challenges have never been greater. "They will either consume us, or they will afford us the greatest opportunity to unleash the genius of the United States of America," he added. O'Rourke has already made a name for himself as a record-breaking fundraiser, the subject of an HBO documentary and a favorite among Hollywood elite. He dropped out Nov 1., tweeting, "I am announcing that my service to the country will not be as a candidate or as the nominee."

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Mark Sanford – Republican Party

Entered Race: Sept. 8, 2019

Dropped Out: Nov. 12, 2019

The former governor of South Carolina -- who resigned in disgrace in 2007 after lying about an extramarital affair -- announced his challenge to Trump, saying, "We have lost our way." Sanford, who was also a U.S. congressman from 1995 to 2001 and 2013 to 2019, pledged to tackle the nation's ballooning national debt and reverse Trump's policies on trade protectionism. He dropped out in November saying the issues on his platform were overshadowed by the ongoing impeachment process.

The senator from New York announced her bid Tuesday, Jan. 15 on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert." Gillibrand, whose campaign slogan is "Brave Wins," supported paid family leave and protecting women's rights.

On August 28, 2019, she announced her withdrawal. "To our supporters: Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Now, let's go beat Donald Trump and win back the Senate," she tweeted.

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Seth Moulton – Democratic Party

Entered Race: April 22, 2019 Dropped Out: August 23, 2019

The Massachusetts congressman and Iraq War veteran ended his campaign for president in a speech to the DNC in San Fransisco. “I think it’s evident that this is now a three-way race between Biden, Warren and Sanders, and really it’s a debate about how far left the party should go,” Mr. Moulton told the New York Times.

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John Hickenlooper

Entered Race: March 4, 2019 Dropped Out: Aug. 15, 2019

The former Colorado governor supported stricter gun control laws and free trade.

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Howard Schultz – Independent

Dropped Out: Sept. 6, 2019

In January the former Starbucks CEO expressed initial interest in running. In August, Schultz reportedly suspended his campaigning until after Labor Day, citing medical issues. In September, Schultz cited those issues and more in a letter on his website as reasons he had to take himself out of the running.

"My belief in the need to reform our two-party system has not wavered, but I have concluded that an independent campaign for the White House is not how I can best serve our country at this time," he wrote.

Schultz is a co-founder of the venture capital firm Maveron, which is an investor in TheWrap.

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Eric Swalwell

Entered Race: April 8, 2019 Dropped Out: July 8, 2019

The California congressman wrote in a statement on his campaign's website about his decision to bow out of the 2020 presidential race, "I’ll never forget the people I met and lessons I learned while travelling [sic] around our great nation – especially in the communities most affected by gun violence."

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Jay Inslee – Democratic Party

Entered Race: March 1, 2019 Dropped Out: Aug. 21, 2019

The Governor of Washington ran on a platform focused on climate change, proposing a "100% Clean Energy for America Plan" that would see emissions drop to zero by 2035.

He announced he was dropping out of the race during an appearance on "The Rachel Maddow Show."

"It's become clear that I'm not going to be carrying the ball," Inslee told Maddow. "I'm not going to be the President, I'm withdrawing tonight from the race."

Inslee added that he's optimistic that climate change will be a major part of the Democratic party's priorities.

The New York City mayor was looking for more taxes for the wealthy and regulating "gig jobs" under his proposed Universal Labor Standards.

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Steve Bullock – Democratic Party

Entered Race: May 14, 2019

Dropped Out: Dec. 2, 2019

The Montana governor said in a statement, "While there were many obstacles we could not have anticipated when entering this race, it has become clear that in this moment, I won’t be able to break through to the top tier of this still-crowded field of candidates."

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John Delaney – Democratic Party

Entered Race: July 28, 2017 Dropped Out: Jan. 31, 2020

The U.S. Representative for Maryland's 6th district declared back in July 2017. He said he'll "end reckless trade wars and expand trade," "create a universal health care system" and "launch a national AI strategy." But he dropped out before the Iowa caucuses.

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Joe Sestak – Democratic Party

Entered Race: June 23, 2019 Dropped Out: Dec. 1, 2019

The former Pennsylvania Congressman had a plan for America that includes investing in American manufacturing and strengthening antitrust laws. But short of funds and media attention, he dropped out.

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Bernie Sanders is the latest to end the race for the Oval Office

There's less than a year to go until the 2020 presidential election, where the presumptive Democratic nominee — former Vice President Joe Biden — is expected to take on President Donald Trump.

But before then, the race was filled with a number of candidates eyeing the Oval Office. Here's TheWrap's list of everyone who is running for president — and who has dropped out.